One big problem, panelists said, was burns and novicks deliberate exclusion of professional historians from their 80 talking heads. Nov 20, 2018 the disaster that was the vietnam war. The vietnam war remains the most significant political experience for an entire american generation. Often compared to joseph conrad and ernest hemingway, and largely considered one of the best vietnam novels, stone focuses on two characters, one of whom is a sailor traveling home from vietnam. There have, however, been serious revisionist histories of the vietnam war. Others, however, focus in on the effects of war with an almost meditative state of mind.
Historians on the vietnam war sarah jones weicksel jan 29, 2018 released in september 2017, the vietnam war, ken burns and lynn novicks 10part, 18hour documentary series, has been widely acclaimed by film critics. These younger historians also reject the monolithic view of the vietnam wars popularized by authors like francis fitzgerald in her pulitzer prizewinning book, fire in the lake. Guenter lewys america in vietnam 1978 was an excellent early example, and like lewy before him, the sheer scholarship behind moyars book demands that we take his views seriously. America in vietnam 1978, by guenter lewy, is an example of historical revisionism that differs much from the popular view of the role of the u. Specifically, us feared that a communist vietnam, and other successful wars of national. The greatest battle of the vietnam air war the air combat trilogy book 2 jeffrey ethell.
In orthodox academic dogma, the vietnam war is a mere subset of 20th century diplomatic history, rather than a main subject of 20th century military history. And this south vietnamese turn in vietnam war historiography continues, with new work on the way. The columbia history of the vietnam war columbia university. He himself worked in various menial jobs after he had served as a bombardier in. Antiwar history of the vietnam war thus acquired the label of orthodox history. These scissors were used by retired military captain barbara chiminello, who served in vietnam through the army nurse corps. Our books experts recommends 10 authors to read on the conflict. It can be a difficult war to understand for historians of all agesthe many dimensions of the war lead to a lot of questions.
An epic tragedy, 19451975, max hastings chronicles conflict in the country from the end of world war ii until south vietnam fell to the communists. Laying the chronological and critical foundations for the volume, david l. By the early 1990s, when i began studying the vietnam war, the american public had largely lost interest in the history of that conflict. In the 21st century, americans still bitterly argue about the war. That same generation presided over two long and costly wars in iraq and afghanistan, and events there no doubt increased public interest and debate over the conduct, outcome, and meaning of the vietnam war. Historians of the orthodox school have singled it out for harsh criticism, while the revisionist school of vietnam historiography holds it to be a watershed in the literature on the war. A lively introduction and conclusion by editors andrew wiest and. The vietnam war started in the 1950s, according to most historians, though the conflict in southeast asia had its roots in the french colonial period of the 1800s. Vietnam war, 19611975 engineering and construction base development in south vietnam, 19651970 1991, by carroll h. Taylor ngo dinh diem and south vietnam reconsidered philip e. The vietnam war was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of north vietnam against south vietnam and its principal ally, the united states. Like everyone else, historians continue to debate the. Both the nonfiction and fictional tales on this list have a sense of chilling realism gleaned from firsthand experience and indepth research.
April 30,2000, marked the twentyfifth anniversary of the real end of the vietnam war. A history is the book to which most vietnam historians return in frustration after rejecting the other flawed attempts at synthesis. These include winners of national book awards and pulitzer prizes, both fiction and nonfiction. And yet, while historiansmakers of such scholarly information. Hastings sees the vietnam war in much the same way as that anguished villager. He focuses on personalitiesprimarily the best and brightest of john f. Anderson opens with an essay on the vietnam wars major moments and enduring relevance. A professor at the university of chicago, bradley already has an impressive list of prior works on the history of vietnam, including imagining vietnam and america.
Jan 10, 2018 by the time the vietnam war ended in 1975, it was already one of the most fraught and controversial conflicts in american history. All four contributors to the discussion appreciate and recognize the main purpose of rethinking the vietnam war. Herring is one of the most respected historians of the vietnam war see his. Kennedys administration, including robert mcnamara, walt rostow, mcgeorge bundy, dean rusk and general maxwell taylorand the many mistakes they made in prosecuting the war. Vietnam became the western worlds most divisive modern conflict, precipitating a battlefield humiliation for france in 1954, then a vastly greater one for the united states in 1975. A discussion of the film documentary the vietnam war during the annual meeting of the american historical association. The vietnam war was arguably the most traumatic experience for the united states in the twentieth century. Pages in category vietnam war books the following 42 pages are in this category, out of 42 total.
Mar 02, 2015 the best histories of the vietnam war. Staughton lynd, yale university, and the vietnam war. An excellent debate by academic historians about the merits and shortcomings of professor mark moyars 2006 book, triumph forsaken, a revisionist history of the vietnam war 195465. Gr 8 updk, in consultation with the smithsonian institution, delivers a hefty tome that provides a sweeping overview of the vietnam war. Anderson, the president of the society for historians of american foreign relations and an orthodox historian of the vietnam war, stated in his 2005 presidential address that revisionists interpret the war based on an uncritical acceptance of american cold war policy rather than analysis of the facts, whereas orthodox historians. The making of postcolonial vietnam, 19191950, and coediting credit for making sense of the vietnam war. For instance, in the 2004 presidential election, the vietnamera military service of both major candidates turned into a serious campaign issue. By the time the vietnam war ended in 1975, it was already one of the most fraught and controversial conflicts in american history.
He chooses the best books on the vietnam war, exploring its moral ambiguities, the warrior mentality, the humanity of the enemy, and more. Rethinking the vietnam war by john dumbrell springerlink. One of the things i loved so muchand that broke my heart so cleanlyabout the things they carried was that it reminded me of another beloved war book, slaughterhousefive, in that both books are. A rumor of war, philip caputo to call it the best book about vietnam is to trivialise it.
Originally published a companion to the emmywinning pbs series, karnows defining book is a precursor to ken burnss tenpart forthcoming documentary series, the vietnam war. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign. Some forty years after american withdrawal from vietnam, the u. The necessary war, michael lind if you only read one book on the vietnam war, this is it.
School of government and international affairs, durham university, durham, uk. Jan 09, 2018 not so much, based on a lively weekend panel called a fateful misunderstanding. In one sense, howard zinn was the archetypal worker who reads, born to workingclass parents his immigrant father, edward, was a waiter, and his mother, jennie, was a homemaker. Winner of the 1974 national book award for fiction, dog soldiers is a story of the vietnam war and of drug smuggling. It is, ironically, one of the oldest histories of the war. From the awardwinning historian and filmmakers of the civil war, baseball, the war, the roosevelts, and others. Critically acclaimed since its release in 1977, dispatches was one of the first books which offered an insiders account of the vietnam war to the general public. Hunts a vietnam war reader is a very different text to onans. Halberstam, who was a vietnam war correspondent for the new york times, produced a deeply researched, clearly and engagingly written history of americas involvement in the vietnam war. Historians at war national association of scholars. Michael herr was a war correspondent for esquire between 1967 and 1969. Zinn was expected to be at the ahas 121st annual meeting held in january 2007 in atlanta, to chair a session that was titled most appropriately for himthe historian in a time of crisis.
He lays out how america viewed vietnam as a military problem to be solved, when the concerns were primarily political and social, and that the united states acted with hubris by not. The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations. Madeleine watts, 12th grade student historian pictured is a pair of bandage scissors. Released in september 2017, the vietnam war, ken burns and lynn novicks 10part, 18hour documentary series, has been widely acclaimed by film critics. Feb 05, 2008 a rumor of war, philip caputo to call it the best book about vietnam is to trivialise it. Civil war and world war ii were the wars that historians were advised to. Not so much, based on a lively weekend panel called a fateful misunderstanding. Sep 20, 2018 an absorbing and definitive modern history of the vietnam war from the acclaimed new york times bestselling author of the secret war. Written by historian and sociologist james william gibson, this 1986 book is another text that argues that the united states was on the path to. Radical historian marilyn young titled her chapter on this. Triumph revisited is comprised of historians commenting on dr. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. Historians battle for the vietnam war collects critiques of triumph forsaken from both sides of this debate, written by an array of vietnam scholars, cataloguing arguments about how the war should be remembered, how history may be reconstructed, and by whom. More than forty years after it ended, the vietnam war continues to haunt our country.
Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. In america in vietnam, the first comprehensive revisionist account of the war, political scientist guenter lewy contended that the war was winnable if the united states had only prioritized counterinsurgency operations. Rooted in recent scholarship, the columbia history of the vietnam war offers profound new perspectives on the political, historical, military, and social issues that defined the war and its effect on the united states and vietnam. This is a great book for studying the historiography of the vietnam war and for academic counterpunching. They were welcomed by vietnamese girls handing out leis. Apr 11, 2018 in america in vietnam, the first comprehensive revisionist account of the war, political scientist guenter lewy contended that the war was winnable if the united states had only prioritized counterinsurgency operations. Army medicine during the vietnam war newyork historical. During the four years following passage of the tonkin gulf resolution aug. Historians and the vietnam war by andrew wiest the vietnam war in an asian perspective the vietnamese civil war of 195575 in historical perspective k. Mark moyars revisionist book triumph forsaken and mark responding to their comments. Joy about the french experience in indochina, was killed in 1967 by a mine planted on the very street he used as a book title.
Pages in category historians of the vietnam war the following 34 pages are in this category, out of 34 total. Historians argue about whether a given battle was a success or a failure, but, overall, the military mission was catastrophic on many levels. Lewy also blamed antiwar activists for creating the myth that the united states was inevitably doomed by the complexities of. While most historians of the vietnam war focus on the origins of u. That is indeed a grim distinction in a span that included two world wars, the assassinations of two presidents and the resignation of another, the great depression, the cold war, racial unrest, and the drug and crime waves. That same generation presided over two long and costly wars in iraq and afghanistan, and events there no doubt increased public interest and debate over the. There was a time when all i knew of vietnam war books was tim obriens, the things they carried, a book that prompted the laconic entry in my book journal, this book destroyed me. The civil war and world war ii were the wars that historians were advised to. Ia drangthe battle that changed the war in vietnam. The conflict over interpretations continues the vietnam war, with the exception of the civil war, was the most divisive conflict in american history.
Historians at war unl digital commons university of. Perhaps more targeted at the scholarly minded, this book collects official documents and private letters from a sea of sources. Among the most positive is an abundance of topnotch books, many written by veterans of the conflict. Some memoirs written by vietnam war veterans involve heavy doses of camaraderie. While the list of books about this conflict includes hundreds of enlightening works, we pick ten of the best texts offering illuminating perspectives on the war, its context and the effects it had on vietnam. The vietnam war in history chapter 1 the vietnam war. A history puts events and decisions into such sharp focus that we come to understand and make peace with a convulsive epoch of our recent history. The disaster that was the vietnam war the new york times. List of books and articles about vietnam antiwar movement. Published in 1978, america in vietnam argues against traditional or orthodox interpretations of the war as unnecessary, unjust, or unwinnable. A slew of war memoirs stand with the best writing of that genre. Nguyen examines the international context in which north vietnamese leaders pursued the war and american intervention ended.
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